Credit Card Rewards Beginner’s Edition Series: Research and Set-Up

In our house, Joel is the one who manages the detailed machinations behind maximizing our rewards points, miles, and cash back situation. He keeps tabs on when cards need to be canceled, how close we are to hitting an initial spend, and which one should be used for which types of purchases. This system has led to many positive outcomes such as things being streamlined, our rewards truly being maximized, and most importantly…fewer arguments.

It’s not that I don’t care but I simply don’t care as much. I like travel and getting things for free but I also like keeping things simple and a “set it and forget it” approach to finances vs. his more “high touch” approach. If left to my own devices, I would probably open 1-2 credit cards per year, reap those rewards, and get something new whenever a new deal happened to catch my eye.

But if I am going to blog on these topics, I simply can’t in good conscience write tips and tricks without trying them myself. So I am going to start experimenting with some of these methods I read about but with a decidedly beginner approach. Now, if you have been juggling multiple cards for years and know the valuation ratios of all the major rewards program… good for you and this is not the series of posts for you. Check out Joel’s posts for some pro-tips — I cannot help you! Maybe someday!

Based on the Sift Swift tool and a chat with it’s creator, I have decided to sign-up for the Uber Visa Card. The benefits that caused this to be the top choice for me was because I already have most of the cards that SiftSwift lists as top picks for me and there are some great up-sides to this card that will be a good complement to the cards I already have. Such as…

$100 Sign-Up Bonus

4% Cashback at Restaurants

Points transferable to multiple airline partners coming in 2018

Stay tuned for more updates on my solo foray into credit card rewards!